Catalytic combustion systems are well known in gas turbine applications to reduce the creation of pollutants in the combustion process. As known, gas turbines include a compressor for compressing air, a combustion stage for producing a hot gas by burning fuel in the presence of the compressed air produced by the compressor, and a turbine for expanding the hot gas to extract shaft power. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,159 describes a catalytic oxidation method and apparatus for a gas turbine utilizing a backside cooled design. Multiple cooling conduits, such as tubes, are coated on the outside diameter with a catalytic material and are supported in a catalytic reactor portion of the combustor. A portion of a fuel/oxidant mixture is passed over the catalyst coated cooling conduits and is oxidized, while simultaneously, a portion of the oxidant enters the multiple cooling conduits and cools the catalyst. The exothermally catalyzed fluid then exits the catalytic oxidation system and is mixed with the cooling fluid outside the system, creating a heated, combustible mixture. The tubes used in such catalytic reactors are typically exposed to extreme temperature and vibration conditions which may adversely affect the integrity and service life of the tubes.